Hey, everyone! Thanks for all your reviews. They're really helping to motivate me. Anyway, I just wanted to say that if this chapter is a little... I dunno, out of style, for this particular fic, I'm sorry. I had a bit of an issue with it, but I hope it turned out well. Either way, tell me what you think.
Drakken cursed quietly to himself, scowling angrily. His latest invention was giving him a bit of trouble, and he wasn't very happy about it. Huffing, he flung the bit of plastic at the lab table and crossed his arms. 'Why is it that I can build lasers powerful enough to sink Australia with no problem whatsoever, and yet I can't make one simple Super-TiVo remote?'
No answer was forthcoming.
He sighed again, ceaseless frown set. The emergency-alert light set into the wall of his lab began to blink rapidly, and his mood darkened further. 'Oh, those damn raccoons!' Slamming a blue fist down on his desk, the forgotten remote losing hold of its innards, he spun around in his comfy, custom La-Z-Boy office chair. "Shego! Rid our lawn of those infernal beasts!"
"Rid it yourself! I'm busy!"
He rolled his eyes. 'Ungrateful teenager!' he cursed inwardly, rising from his chair. 'Now I know how mother felt all those years!' He shook his head and stomped out of his lab. Shego's bedroom door was closed, and to release a bit of his frustration, he made sure to hit it while he passed. His plan backfired, however, and he made his way toward the secret entrance of his lair clutching his hand and screaming profanities that would have resulted in a severe punishment had his mother heard such things coming from his mouth.
Glaring at his already bruising hand, Drakken ripped the heavy steel door open. The sight that greeted him was not very well received. Kim Possible was somersaulting and backflipping neatly over his well-laid laser detection system, and she was making it look far too easy.
She landed gracefully before him, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Hey, Dr. D."
He stared blankly at her, his jaw working. A small tick started below his eye. The teenager was completely unruffled, irritatingly enough. Her breathing was even, her hair was perfect, as always, and her clothes had managed to pass through the endeavor completely unscathed; her backpack wasn't even out of place! Each strand of hair, each stray strap, and each bit of her infuriating, teenage heroine self was untouched. He blinked slowly, defeated. "Possible."
Kim smiled nervously; his stare was unsettling.
Drakken moved to the side, pulling the door open wider for the redhead.
The teenager sidestepped the older man cautiously. He was still staring, and she was still a tad uncomfortable alone with him. She cleared her throat. "New system, huh?" she asked him sheepishly, gesturing back towards the detection system she had so easily maneuvered around. The blue-skinned man merely stared at her. She hoisted her backpack higher on her shoulder, forcing herself to shake the unease eating at her. "I kind of liked that one," she admitted. "It kept me on my toes." She swallowed, and added, "Good practice."
Drakken's gaze remained emotionless, but despite his outward stoniness, inwardly, he was out of his mind with anger. 'Why must she be so irritatingly polite?' he raved. He steadied his voice as he prepared to speak. "I saw you on your hands for most of it," he replied blankly.
Kim let out a tense chuckle, glancing away from the thoroughly whitewashed genius. "Oh, right," she muttered. 'Maybe using the front door was a bad idea….' She nodded to herself and bit her lip, inhaling and exhaling deeply. Drakken stood immobile in front of her, looking and feeling quite defeated. They stood together silently at the lair entrance for a long moment, as the evil genius didn't look as if he were in the mood to move, and Kim didn't want to intrude without his permission. Inwardly sighing, she began tapping her fingers against her thighs, still nervous in his presence. 'Well, this silence has 'awkward' painted all over it….'
After another silent moment, Drakken turned and headed for his lab.
Kim followed him, trailing a few paces back to give him space. The uncomfortable atmosphere followed them as they moved deeper into the lair, and the tiny redhead got the feeling that it would continue that way. 'Why is Shego's room so far back?' she asked herself, continuing to follow the blue-skinned genius, as silent as a church mouse, and just about as timid. Finally, the empty silence making her ears ring, she broke down. "So, how'd you know I was coming?"
"Fake grass. Weight perception," the evil doctor answered monotonously.
The heroine nodded. 'I knew I should have listened to that sign,' she admonished herself. 'Why else would an evil lair have Keep Off The Grass If You Know What's Good For You sticking out of its front yard?' She fought the urge to roll her eyes, instead jumping at an opportunity to escape Drakken, which presented itself in the form of Shego's bedroom door. She glanced after him one last time and then snaked her way inside her girlfriend's room.
Shego, who had been rifling through several of her favorite CDs, paused instantly when an all too familiar scent reached her nose. Kim had almost been the physical embodiment of stealth, as the brunette had barely heard or felt the wisp of air seeping through the door as it opened, let alone the soft shuffle of her shoes on the floor or the slight jingling of the zippers on her backpack, but the self-defeating factor was the redhead's perfume. A shared favorite of the two of them, said perfume was never left unnoticed by the villainess. She smiled from her place on the floor. Previously with her back to the redhead, she forced it away as she turned toward her, an inquisitive eyebrow raised. "I didn't hear any yelling," she stated plainly.
Kim frowned. Shego had surprised her by noticing her so soon. 'I was being so quiet too!' she thought sadly, sporting an inward pout. She sighed, and was satisfied with the thought of, 'She just cheats.' The brunette had always shown an aptitude at knowing when Kim was near, and the heroine had never truly succeeded in sneaking up on her. It was depressing, to say the least. However, she let it slide for the moment; she had other issues to deal with. "Huh?"
Shego laughed and tossed the CD she had been debating listening to onto her bed. Standing from her cross-legged position, she crossed her arms. The redhead stood with her back pressed to the door, just as she had been since entering, and the look of confusion on her face was far beyond cute. The villainess fought to keep her smile at bay. "I can't call you a spider, even if I'm caught on the spot and trying to save you the pain of persecution, but Drakken gets away with calling you a raccoon without yelling of any sort?" she asked. She was fairly certain that Kim had no idea what she was talking about, but that was what made it fun.
Kim's frown deepened. 'Raccoon?' She remained silent as her girlfriend meandered in her direction; she was quite confused. 'I'd say I resemble a fox more than raccoon…' she thought, but shrugged it off. It was Drakken, after all. "He called me a raccoon?"
The younger teen nodded, raising her arms to encircle the redhead's waist as she reached her. "Mmhmm. An 'infernal beast,' if I'm not mistaken… which, in Drakken's mind, is the same thing." Playing idly with the backpack straps falling just far enough to reach the hem of Kim's shirt, studious gaze focused on her girlfriend's face, Shego finally smiled at the tiny heroine, continuing with a dismissive, "He wanted me to rid the lawn of you…."
"Oh…." Kim frowned again. "I didn't hear him," she offered lamely.
"How could you not hear that?" the brunette asked, incredulous. "Houston and the thirty-sixth Apollo heard that!" She pulled back to stare pseudo-seriously into Kim's eyes.
Kim shook her head. Playfully rolling her eyes at the immature statement, she said, "Well, Huston and the thirty-sixth Apollo weren't playing cheerleader trying to make it to their evil girlfriend's laser-protected front door in one piece."
"True," the brunette answered pensively.
"It's karma," the tiny heroine muttered. "God's getting me back for skipping practice."
Shego pulled away slightly, pursing her lips, staring intently the heroine's face, appearing thoughtful for a short moment. "Perhaps," she agreed slowly, but continued to gaze at her for no apparent reason. It seemed that way to Kim, anyway. The brunette continued suddenly, "Or maybe you're going deaf!" The tone of her voice could have been easily mistaken for one of genuine concern if Kim didn't know any better. "We have to check your ears!"
Kim flushed, batting away the hands that moved to fuss with her hair. "My ears are fine!"
"Don't be so sure," the younger teen warned. Easily out-maneuvering Kim's hands, false anxiety plastered on her face, she pushed silky ginger locks behind the heroine's ear. "Hello! Earth to Kim! Kimmie-Cub!" she called, being sure to curb her volume as she moved closer to the older girl. "Anybody home? Can you hear me, Kimmie?" The teen in question giggled and pushed futilely at Shego's shoulders, turning to put distance between her ear and her girlfriend. The villainess refused to be gotten rid of, moving in time with the redhead. Her lips brushed a pink-tinged ear, and Kim stooped struggling abruptly. Shego grinned, raising an eyebrow.
"Princess…?" she asked in a whisper.
A deep shiver shook the heroine's slight frame and her flush darkened to a more intimate shade. She gulped, her laughter caught in her throat; it was no longer a joke about her hearing. That mere whisper had completely destroyed her composure. "Hmm?"
Shego chuckled and brushed a kiss against the curve of her girlfriend's jaw. She pulled back slowly. Kim's eyes were closed, obvious anticipation coloring her face. The villainess smiled. 'How is she so cute?' she asked herself. She was never able to answer that question, no matter how many times she asked herself, and she had given up attempting to, so she shook her head and forgot about it, beginning to comb her fingers through the redhead's auburn locks. As she set the ginger waves back in their place, bright emerald eyes fluttered open to study her. Then, kissing the tip of Kim's nose, for no reason other than the fact that she was unbearably cute, Shego grinned. "I guess you're not going deaf after all," she admitted softly.
The redhead blinked. "I--I told you my ears were fine."
Grin widening, the villainess began, "Better safe than--"
"Ahem," Drakken's voice cut in, laced with static. "Door, Shego."
Shego halted, aiming a murderous glare at the intercom that had dared to interrupt her.
Kim glanced over her shoulder at the tiny white box as well; the audio output and receiver had been installed just beside the bedroom door, and was therefore quite close to her ear. 'If I wasn't deaf before, I sure am now,' she inwardly complained.
Shego inhaled deeply, hoping to calm herself enough to keep from ripping the box out of the wall. "Why did I let him put that thing in my room?" she asked rhetorically. She let out a heated breath and tugged gently on Kim's shirt. The redhead followed the motion and allowed the villainess to move her away from the door. She pulled it open just the tiniest bit, the only distance between the door and the frame a quarter-inch sliver. "There! It's open!"
Kim frowned. She had been in Shego's room for at least five minutes or so. "It sure takes him a long time to notice things…" she muttered quietly, brow furrowed.
The younger teen turned to face her girlfriend, grinning and shaking her head. "I imagine he was giving himself time to heal. He hates that you can bypass his security so easily." Shrug following immediately afterward, she offered an, 'oh well,' expression.
Flushing, the redhead grimaced. "Oh…."
"Shego!"
"What?" she snapped, turning to glare out of the minute gap she left in her doorway.
Drakken's scowl met her on the other side. "I just told you to open this door!"
"It is open."
"By an inch!"
Shego studied the gap. "Not even."
Drakken raised his arms, emphasizing his, "There--you see? It does no good!"
"It's still open, isn't it?"
"Yes, but when I said open, I meant open wide enough for me to see into your room."
"That's your problem. You failed to specify how far open it had to be."
The blue-skinned doctor gawked at his protégé, Well, he gawked at all that he could see of her, anyway, which was barely an eye and the corner of her mouth. 'How dare she? Who does she think she is?' he inwardly huffed, far past irritated and well into irate. 'I really must speak with mother.' Unable to think of a good threat and/or admonishment that would have fazed a girl as cantankerous as his understudy, he settled for an indignant, "Shego!"
Her eyes narrowed to a dangerous glare, and the genius could see that just fine through the gap. "Drakken!" she mocked, staring stonily at him, and even with one eye, it had the desired effect. 'What is this guy's problem?' she nearly growled. The impulse to slam the door in his annoying blue face was at a powerful high, but she resisted. "It's open. Leave me alone."
Her voice held such a solid finality that the doctor merely stomped his foot, as immature and petulant as a whiny preteen girl, and stormed away in the direction of his lab, marching in a stiff posture and letting out a loud howl of frustration.